Inuktut Language Services and Use
Duties of every organization
Under section 3 of the Inuktut Protection Act (IPA), every organization operating in Nunavut must:
- Display public signs, including emergency and exit signs, in Inuktut together with any other language used.
- Display and issue posters and commercial advertising in Inuktut, together with any other language used.
- Ensure that the Inuktut text is at least equally prominent as any other language used.
- Provide reception, customer and client services in Inuktut when these services are available to the general public.
Particular Services to be Delivered in Inuktut
An organization must also communicate with the public in Inuktut when delivering the following particular services:
- Essential services
- Emergency, rescue or similarly urgent services, including intake or dispatch services;
- Health, medical and pharmaceutical services.
- Household, residential or hospitality services
- Restaurant, hotel, lodging, residential or housing services;
- Basic household services, including electricity, fuel, water and telecommunications.
- Other prescribed services
Services that the Commissioner in Executive Council may designate as essential due to their importance or consequences for individuals.
Communications Requirements
In addition to the duties listed above, organizations providing particular services must ensure that all public communications related to these services are available in Inuktut, including:
- Notices, warnings or instructions directed to users or consumers;
- Monthly bills, invoices and similar statements directed to persons who may be Inuktut speakers;
- Any other communications prescribed under the IPA.
These requirements apply to both oral and written communications.
Accommodation for a private sector body
Under section 3(5) of the IPA, the Languages Commissioner or the Nunavut Court of Justice may grant a limited accommodation to a private sector body, substituting a less onerous requirement, if:
- The organization primarily serves or promotes a non-Inuit linguistic or cultural community, or
- Demonstrates that full compliance would result in undue hardship.
This process is handled under Part 4 of the IPA and requires a formal submission or application.
For the full text of the Inuktut Protection Act (IPA), please refer to the official consolidation available on the Government of Nunavut’s legislation website.